Counter Guardian: HOWARD
by Dragonmaster150
Summary: Summary: Akira Howard didn't want his father to die. All he wanted was to be able to protect the people he called his family, no matter the cost. So, when he was offered a deal he couldn't refuse Akira made a choice that would change fate. (Fate/Stay Night/Astral Chain, One-shot)


**Disclaimer: Astral Chain is the property of Platinum Games. Fate/Stay Night and affiliated works are the property of TYPE-MOON et. all. Please support the official release.**

**Summary:** Akira Howard didn't want his father to die. All he wanted was to protect everyone that he called his family, no matter the cost. So, he made a deal. Cross Posted on AO3

**Counter Guardian: HOWARD**

Akira Howard hated Mondays.

The day had started well enough, routine detective work investigating a collapsed bridge in Zone 36. Normally it would have been handled by the local police, but, because the local HQ had detected higher than average corruption levels in the affected area NEURON had been brought in to investigate for Chimeric evidence. The kind of things that normal officers might dismiss or outright reject either because of superstition, or because of how nonsensical it would seem. It was also his and his sister, Monique's, first mission working alongside legions, as well as the rest of the NEURON task force.

They had arrived at the site at around eighteen-hundred hours and confirmed that a Chimera had in fact been the most likely cause of the bridge's collapse.

Everything went sideways from there.

A chimera had appeared and the ensuing increase in corruption levels had caused civilians to begin mutating. This, in turn, had led to a wild chase across grand avenue and ended with them cornering the Chimera in a back alley where it had forcefully created a gate and slipped away into the Astral Plain, the Chimera's home dimension.

Seeing an opportunity Akira and his twin had crossed through the portal and fought the Chimera on its home turf. Eventually they, with the aid of the other NEURON officers, had been able to slay the beast.

However, the corruption that made up the very air of that world had seeped its way into the legions, which had once been chimeras themselves, and twisted their priorities causing them to run amok.

This was the first ever excursion by humans into the Astral Plain, not to mention completely unplanned, and the result was a lack of defenses against this sort of issue.

The only one who had managed to recapture their Legion after they had broken free was Monique, but there were still four other berserk Legions and she was exhausted both from the earlier running fight and from the battle to recapture her own Sword Legion.

"Akira look out!"

"Huh? Ahh!"

If it hadn't been for his sister's warning Akira would have died, then and there as one of his own Legion's arrows pierced the ground right in the path where he'd been running.

Shifting his X-baton into its pistol form he spun around and fired off a few shots before ducking behind a wall as another crimson arrow exploded against the pixelated terrain.

Rather than fire back though, Akira instead chose to dart forwards vaulting over a low wall and sprinting down one of the other paths leading into a canyon-like structure in an attempt to lose his pursuer.

Rounding a corner, he almost ran headlong into his sister, who smiled with relief at seeing him, before the two wordlessly turned and ran along a path that would lead towards the portal dodging the Arrow Legion's potshots all the while.

Akira had lost track of how long they'd been running by now but blinking marker on his IRIS informed him that they were coming up on the plateau where the connecting portal was located.

Unsurprisingly their father and the other two officers, Jin and Alicia were also closing in on the portal.

"Just a little farther, we're almost there!"

His words seemed to encourage his sister and she put on a small burst of speed drawing slightly ahead of him.

As they cleared the edge of the strange pixelated canyon and emerged onto open terrain they were joined by Alicia and Jin with their father Max not far behind.

And then the beast Legion came out of nowhere and tried to tackle Alicia.

She was saved from being eaten when the Legion's gaping jaw was slammed shut by Max brining down his X-Baton Gladius on its skull; slamming it into the ground stunning the, formerly, tamed chimera long enough for the NEURON officers to regroup.

The portal was only fifty meters away, not a huge distance but the Arrow Legion coming to rest on the upper edge of the canyon followed by the arm Legion and the Axe Legion emerging from out of the canyon pathway and stalking towards the assembled officers was going to make reaching the gate without being killed rather difficult.

Casting his eyes about Akira desperately tried to come up with an idea, a plan, there had to be some way to-

"I'll hold them off."

He almost didn't register his father's gruff comment until the grizzled veteran turned and began walking towards the assembled Legions.

"Wha-? NO! You can't!"

His voice combined with his sister's sorrowful expression caused Max to hesitate, before Akira saw his back stiffen and he knew that the old man was going to do it anyway.

"I won't let you! I'll stay and- hey let me go!"

As Akira stepped forwards, whether to stop his father, or join him in his certain death, he himself wasn't sure, he was yanked to a halt by Alicia's hand on his arm as she began dragging him towards the portal.

"Here captain, you'll need this." Jin's X-Baton rotated once as it flew into Max's open hand.

"Thanks. You take care of my kids for me alright?"

'_No_'

"Will do captain." The man nodded, his expression mournful, and saluted.

'_No_'

Monique looked torn, glancing between their father, the gate and the Legatus strapped to her arm. A heartbroken look on her face.

'_NO!_'

Max was saying something else, but Akira couldn't hear over the thumping of his heart. He couldn't lose dad, but at the same time he was weak to protect him. All he'd wanted was to help people alongside his family, that's why he'd become a police officer in the first place. So why? Why was he so weak?

Then, he noticed something was off.

It was as if time was frozen, no not frozen but slowed to a crawl. Everything was happing so slowly that it looked as if the world was frozen but there was still movement.

[Query: Do you wish to save them?]

The voice was feminine and human like, but far more monotone, almost robotic.

Turning towards the source, Akira saw what appeared to be a pulsing blue orb, surrounded by two glowing rings.

[Reiterated Query: Do you wish to save them?]

Akira blinked when he realized that he'd been staring.

"Do I want to- Of course I want to save them. I don't want Dad to die, I don't want my sister or Jin, or Alicia to die either."

The orb hummed for a moment, then:

[Query: What would you do to fulfil your wish? To what lengths would you go to gain the strength necessary to save them?]

"Anything. I'll do anything if it means that they'll live. I don't want to lose anyone else."

He straightened and declared it proudly, his eyes burning with conviction.

[Response: We can grant you the needed power to fulfill your desire, however in order to do so you must do something for us.]

"What do you want?"

His tone was wary. He'd said that he would do anything to save his family and friends, but there were moral boundaries he was unsure if he would be able to cross.

[Statement: We are Alaya, we are humanity's will. Their desire to continue existing. The survival of humanity takes precedence above all others.]

[Request: Therefore, Akira Howard, if you accept this deal you will work to ensure that humanity will continue to exist, even after your body perishes you will continue to fight and protect humanity as our counter guardian.]

Akira wasn't sure what to say, but he knew with a certainty that if he didn't take Alaya's offer, that his father would certainly die. Really it was no choice at all.

In the NEURON headquarters beneath the central city police station the pink-haired Olive Espinosa was praying. She'd done everything in her power to help the NEURON officers trapped in the Astral plain.

Squeezing her hands together until they hurt, she prayed desperately for their survival.

Her console chose that moment to let out an urgent beeping sound prompting the Pinkett to open her eyes and look at the screen.

What she saw wasn't possible so why was?

"Director?"

Olive's voice roused Director Yoseph from his thoughts.

"What is it?"

"It's Akira's Legatus, it's, umm, begun to activate."

The director blinked and pushed up his glasses.

"Was he able to recapture one of the Legions?"

The director's tone was tinged with hope, but his expression was dashed when Olive shook her head.

"No, its… something else. Quite frankly I'm not certain what it is."

"Hmm, put it on the screen."

"Right away."

She tapped the terminal keyboard a few times before swiping right on the screen. A moment later the information streaming from the device was displayed on the main viewscreen behind the director.

"This is… most fascinating, I've never seen anything like it."

His tone conveys a certain level of aww that Olive has never heard from the man before.

Leaving the director to pour over the data Olive turned back to her terminal and huddled down, clasping her hands again.

'_Max, Akira, everyone. Please be safe!_'

Monique Howard was torn. As she watched her father prepare to sacrifice himself, Akira standing right next to her gaping, his eyes filled with despair, and she could do nothing. Even with her Legion she had exhausted herself and now there was nothing she could do to protect her family.

"I-it won't end like this. I won't let it!"

Her brother had begun to walk forwards.

"Akira?! What are you doing!"

The question was passed her lips before she realized how rhetorical it was. He'd found a way to save Dad, obviously. She grinned slightly; well she wasn't down for the count yet either.

**(Play 'Awakening'- Astral Chain OST)**

[I.D. Code Confirmed: Starting up.]

That's right it wouldn't end like this.

[Building new operational procedures.]

He wouldn't be helpless not again.

[Procedures set. Establishing connection to the Throne of Heroes]

He felt a smile tug at his lips as his twin fell in step beside him. They really were two sides of the same coin.

[Connection Established. Engaging 'FATE' protocol. Beginning summoning procedure]

Vaguely he heard Max, Jin and Alicia yelling at the two of them to get back. He threw out his arm as the Sword Legion Materialized next to Monique.

[Retrieving Spirit Core, Successful. Forming Servant Body.]

In the center of the blue band that had once acted as his Legion's collar a multicolored orb appeared and around it formed a vaguely humanoid looking body that appeared to be made of the same blocky substance as the Astral Plain itself.

Its skin was blue and pixilated. Black colored armor formed on the torso. White hair with streaks of blue appeared on its head. A mantle formed around its shoulders, coloured red, though not the same angry colour as the Chimera's or berserk Legions, but richer and deeper. Its eyes were steel grey with blue veins crisscrossing the whites.

[Stabilized.]

His legatus clamped down over the figure's right arm and Akira felt the general flow of it, or rather his, thoughts begin to filter through his head.

['FATE' protocol complete. Heroic Spirit EMIYA.]

**AN: A one-shot that's been floating around in my mind ever since buying Astral chain back in August. Tell me what you think, this will be my first time actually posting anything that I have written, and any constructive criticism is welcome. Flames and toxic comments will be ignored.**

**If anyone wants to take my idea and make a fic out of it be my guest. Just let me know so that I can get a chance to read it.**

**Fic Wordcount:** 1871 Words.


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